Apparatus for adapting railroad rails to pneumatic tired vehicles



Dec. 10, 1963 G. K. KOCHER 3,113,722

APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING RAILROAD RAILS .TO

PNEUMATIC TIRED VEHICLES Filed Aug. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g QQ Q Q N *w v:

AFR ,L 7W

m x v M u go INVENTOR. GEORGE K. KOCHER ATTYS.

Dec. 10, 1963 G. K. KOCHER 3,113,722

APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING RAILROAD RAILS TO PNEUMATIC TIRED VEHICLES Flled Aug 29 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE K. KOCHER awaw AT TYS.

United States Patent 3,113,722 APPARATUS FGR ADAP'HNG ROAD RAILS T0 PNEUMATIC TD VEHICLES George K. Kocher, 604 Elmira Sh, White Haven, Pa. Filed Aug. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 134,748 4 Claims. (Cl. 238-9) This invention relates to apparatus for rapidly and effectively converting conventional railroad tracks so that they are adapted to the passage of pneumatic tired vehicles.

In recent years there has been a decided falling away of the amount of traflic carried by conventional railroads, both with respect to passengers and freight. At the same time, there has been a decided and progressive increase in the number of trucks, busses, and passenger cars utilizing paved highways so that trafiic congestion is the rule rather than the exception.

In a typical case, the railroad running through White Haven, Pennsylvania, is utilized but thirty minutes in every twenty-four hours, and is otherwise standing idle.

It has been proposed heretofore to convert conventional railroad tracks so that they can handle the passage of pneumatic tired vehicles. One manner of doing this is to provide the pneumatic tired vehicles with special flanges so that the vehicles can actually ride on the rails. However, such conversions have met with little or no commercial success because of the expense and difliculty of converting the vehicles to and from the special .forms required for rail travel and for ordinary highway travel.

It has also been proposed to convert railroad'tracks to pneumatic tired vehicles by building narrow runways adja- 'cent the railroad rails whereby pneumatic tired vehicles can roll on the roadways adjacent the rails without necessitating conversions of or additions to the wheels of the pneumatic tired vehicles. However, known proposals have not met with commercial success or acceptance because of the high cost of construction, ineffectiveness of operation in actual use, and/ or high maintenance requirements.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of and objections to known prior art practices by the provision of an improved, relatively simple, easily installed, longwearing and substantially maintenance free apparatus for converting railroad tracks to carry pneumatic tired vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described which is particularly light in weight so that it can be readily installed, but which is particularly high in strength, and which is moisture and rot-proof so that maintenance problems are kept to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a high strength roadway for pneumatic tired vehicles, the roadway to be positioned directly upon the railroad ties and adjacent the rails, and which is characterized by flexibility adapting it to take the very high stresses and flexures imposed upon it by the passage of a railroad train, or re peated passages, without the roadway breaking down.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus as described wherein the railroad tracks are adapted to provide for the passage of conventional railroad vehicles which ride on the rails, and the passage of pneumatic tired vehicles riding upon the roadways mounted adjacent the rails, and wherein the roadway is constructed so as to allow for expansion and contraction thereof without the joints between adjacent sections of the roadway causing objectionable bumps on the pneumatic tired vehicles.

The foregoing objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by apparatus for adapting railroad rails secured by tie plates to ties to pneumatic tired vehicles, the combination of a hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas box positioned on each side of a pair of rails, the box having a height equal to the height between the top of the rail and the top of the tie, and a width equal to about the distance between the rail and the end of the tie, each box having a side contoured complementary to the side of the rail and the supporting tie plates and engaging therewith, the box on the inside of each rail being formed with an opening for the flange of a flanged wheel riding on the rail, bolt means extending through said last-named sides of the boxes and through the vertical flange of the rail, lag screw means securing the bottom of each box to at least certain ties, the sides of each box remote from the rail being open, integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges directed laterally of each box at longitudinally spaced points and connecting the top and bottom of the boxes, longitudinally extending integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges on the edges of the top or" each box and remote from the rail and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the box to hold the pneumatic tired vehicle on the boxes, additional inwardly extending laterally directed integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges at longitudinally spaced points on those boxes positioned on the inside of each side of a pair of rails to join together those boxes positioned on the inside of each pair of rails, bolster plate means removably joining said last-named flanges together, each box having one end made female and one end made with a reduced male section adapted to fit into the female end on the adjacent box, and interlocking dovetails on the interfitting ends of the boxes allowing relative longitudinal move ment of adjacent boxes for expansion and contraction.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a plan view, broken away at each end, of a railroad track converted by the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View, parts being shown in perspective, of the telescoping joint between ad-ajacent roa-dbed sections.

Referring to the drawings, a pair of railroad rails 10' are secured in conventional manner by tie plates 12 and spikes 14 to railroad ties 16 to provide a conventional railroad track.

The apparatus for converting the conventional railroad track so that it will carry pneumatic tired vehicles comprises hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas boxes it which are positioned on the railroad ties to at either side of both rails 16. More specifically, each box 20' is made of a selected length, for example 30 feet, although this dimension is not critical, and it can be either increased or decreased. Each box 26* is made of a vertical height equal to the height of the rail Iii above the ties 16, so that the top of each box is flush with the to 1 surface of each rail ill. Each box 26' is made of a lateral width approximately equal to the distance from the rail outwardly to the ends of the ties 16. The side of each box Zii adjacent the rail 16 is formed complementary to the side of the rail, as indicated at 22 and 24, and at longitudinally spaced points along each box 2d the sides 22 and 24 of the boxes are joined together and against the rail by bolt means 26. Usually four or five bolt means 26 secured along a 30-foot long box are sufiicient. The outer sides 'of the outside boxes 20 are open as at 28, and the inner side of the boxes positioned inside the rail are open, as at 30. This allows lag screws 32, or similar fastening means, to secure each box 20, usually to each tie 16.

Laterally directed and vertically extended strengthening flanges 34 are provided at longitudinally spaced points inside of each box 24 these flanges extending between the inside of the top and bottom of each box, the flanges being made of resin impregnated Fiberglas, and formed integrally with the top and bottom of each box. Flanges 34 are normally positioned at about 18-inch longitudinally spaced intervals over the full length of each box, but these flanges can be placed more closely' together for purposes of supplying still higher strength, should this be desired.

Likewise formed integrally with each box 2d along the top edge of each box remote from the rail 16 is a vertically upstanding flange 4t) and 41 made of resin impregnated Fiber-glas. The flanges 40 and 41 serve to prevent the wheels of a pneumatic tired vehicle from running off the roadways provided by the boxes 20.

Each box 20 positioned inboard of the rails is formed with a recess 42 for the reception of the flange of a railroad Wheel so that conventional railroad cars and locomotives can run on rails 10 even though the apparatus of the invention has been incorporated with the standard railroad track.

Each inboard box is formed with an additional latenally positioned and vertically extending flange 46, at longitudinally spaced points, for example, at 10-foot intervals, these flanges being molded integrally with each inboard box and formed of resin impregnated Fiberglas. Each flange 46 is positioned in lateral alignment with a flange 46 from the other inboard box 20*, and bolster plates 48 are utilized to secure the adjacent flanges 46 together, as by bolt means 50.

The Fiberglas boxes 20, constructed as described, are normally molded from very high strength Fiberglas properly impregnated with high strength durable resin so that the resulting structure not only provides great strength with relatively light weight, but is particularly weather resistant and maintenance free over very long periods of time. When properly manufactured the Fiberglas and resin structure described has greater strength than stainless steel. Usually the thickness of the walls of the box 20, and of the various integral flanges heretofore described is between about one-half inch and about one inch. It .is sometimes preferable to mold the top side of each box 20 with a greater thickness, for example one inch, and to mold the supporting flanges 34 with a similar thickness, whereas the lower side of each box and the flanges 46 can be made of a lesser thickness, for example one-half inch.

In the manufacture of each box 20' as described it is preferable to mold a non-skid design 54 continuously over the surface thereof whereby traction between the pneumatic tired vehicles and the boxes 20 is improved.

An important feature of the invention is to provide for relative expansion and contraction between the ends of the box sections, and to connect these ends adequately together. FIG. 3 illustrates the manner of achieving these objects. In this figure, one end of each box 20' is formed with a series of tongues or sliding dovetails 6G, and the other end of the adjacent longitudinally aligned box 20 is formed with a continuous flange 62 of reduced dimensions providing a male portion sliding inside the female box end adjacent the tongue 60. For purposes of clarification the complete box ends have not been illustrated in FIG. 3, but, as stated, it should be clear that one end of each box serves as a female end, and the opposite end of each box as a male end slidably received in the female end of the next adjacent longitudinally aligned box. Furthermore, the male end of each box 20, as seen to the right in FIG. 3, is formed with a series of slotted recesses 64 which slidably receive the tongue 69 of the adjacent female box end. The result is a structure which allows for expansion and contraction between the ends of adjacent boxes, and which provides the minimum amount of thump upon the rapid movement of a pneumatic tired vehicle thereover.

The present invention is concerned with the construction and mounting of the boxes for converting a conventional railroad to the passage of pneumatic tired vehicles, and not with special box sections utilized at switches, crossovers, or other track special arrangements. These will form the subject matter of future patent applications. It should be noted here, however, that in at least certain portions of the railroad track the flanges 4t) and 41 at the sides of the boxes 20- may be omitted and ordinary paving can be run up to the edges of the boxes 20 so that pneumatic tired vehicles can be run onto or removed from the surface of the boxes Qt), as will be evident.

The apparatus of the invention is relatively light in weight in comparison with metal or concrete, so that sections can be easily hand-led and installed in the manner described. Before the installation of each box section, suitable jig plates can be used to at least partially bore on the ties 16 holes for the reception of the lag screws 32, and the rails 10 will be appropriately drilled for the reception of bolt means 26. Ratchet wrenches can then be utilized through the open sides of the boxes 20 to secure the lag screws 32 and the bolt means 26 in position, and the conversion of a conventional railroad track to operations for carrying pneumatic vehicles can move forward with very considerable speed. The apparatus of the invention possesses the necessary flexibility to al low the repeated passage of heavy trains over the railroad tracks, and without breakage or deterioration of the boxes in the manner that occurs when reinforced concrete is utilized to make roadbeds on opposite sides of a railroad rail. The invention adapts a conventional railroad and right-of-way' to the passage of pneumatic tired vehicles so that these railroad right-of-ways can be utilized to move large numbers of vehicles in those ofl periods when the railroad right-of-Ways are not now being utilized. The invention adapts itself to the pulling of long articulated lines of pneumatic tired vehicles, such as trucks or busses, as by a diesel locomotive, although the details of this operation are not herein described, these forming the subject matter of separate inventions. By utilization of the many existing railroad tracks in the manner described, the concentrated truck and bus traflic now present on our paved highways, and often resulting in pavement breakdown and maintenance problems on such highways, can be reduced allowing more room thereon for passenger vehicle traffic.

While a certain representative embodiment and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the .invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that 'various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for adapting railroad rails, secured by tie plates to ties, to pneumatic tired vehicles the combination of a hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas box positioned on each side of a pair of rails, the box on the outside of each rail having a height equal to the height between the top of the rail and the top of the tie, and a width equal to about the distance between the rail and the adjacent end of the tie, each box having a side contoured complementary to the side of the rail and the supporting tie plates and engaging therewith, the box on the inside of each rail being formed with a slot indentation parallel and adjacent to the rail to receive the flange of a flanged wheel riding on the rail, bolt means extending through said last-named sides of the boxes and through the vertical flange of the rail, lag screw means securing the bottom of each box to at least certain ties, the sides of each box remote from the rail being open, integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges directed laterally of each box at longitudinally spaced points and connecting the top and bottom of each of the boxes, longitudinally extending integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges on the edges of the top of each box and remote from the rail and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the box to hold the pneumatic tired vehicle on the boxes, ad ditional inwardly extending laterally directed integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges at longitudinally spaced points on those boxes positioned on the inside of each side of a pair of rails to join together those boxes positioned on the inside of each pair of rails, bolster plate means reniovably joining said last-named flanges together, each box having one end made female and one end made with a reduced male section adapted to fit into the female end on the adjacent box, and interlocking dovetails on the interfitting ends of the boxes allowing relative longitudinal movement of adjacent boxes for expansion and contraction.

2. In apparatus for adapting railroad rails, secured by tie plates to ties, to pneumatic tired vehicles the combination of a hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas box positioned on each side of a pair of rails, the box on the outside of each rail having a height equal to the height between the top of the rail and the top of the tie, and a width equal to about the distance between the rail and the adjacent end of the tie, each box having a side contoured substantially complementary to the side of the rail and engaging therewith, the box on the inside of each rail being formed with a slot indentation parallel and adjacent to the rail to receive the flange of a flanged wheel riding on the rail, bolt means extending through said lastnamed sides of the boxes and through the vertical flange of the rails, means securing the bottom of each box to at least certain ties, integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges directed laterally of each box at longitudinally spaced points and connecting the top and bottom of each of the boxes, longitudinally extending integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges on the edges of the top of each box and remote from the rail and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the box to hold the pneumatic tired vehicle on the boxes, additional inwardly extending laterally directed integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges at longitudinally spaced points on those boxes positioned on the inside of each side of a pair of rails to join together those boxes positioned on the inside of each pair of rails, bolster plate means removably joining said last-named flanges together, each box having one end made female and one end made with a reduced male section adapted to fit into the female end on the adjacent box, and interlocking dovetails on the interfitting ends of the boxes allowing relative longitudinal movement of adjacent boxes for expansion and contraction.

3. In apparatus for adapting railroad rails, secured by tie plates to ties, to pneumatic tired vehicles the combination of a hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas box positioned on each side of a pair of rails, the box on the outside of each rail having a height equal to the height between the top of the rail and the top of the tie, and a width equal to about the distance between the rail and the adjacent end of the tie, the box on the inside of each rail being formed with a slot indentation parallel and adjacent to the rail to receive the flange of a flanged wheel riding on the rail, means securing the bottom of each box to at least certain ties, integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges directed laterally of each box at longitudinally spaced points and connecting the top and bottom of each of the boxes, longitudinally extending integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges on the edges of the top of each box and remote from the rail and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the box to hold the pneumatic tired vehicle on the boxes, each box having one end made female and one end made with a reduced male section adapted to fit into the female end on the adjacent box allowing relative longitudinal movement of adjacent boxes for expansion and contraction.

4. In apparatus for adapting railroad rails, secured by tie plates to ties, to pneumatic tired vehicles the combination of a hollow elongated resin impregnated Fiberglas box positioned on each side of a pair of rails, the box on the outside of each rail having a height equal to the height between the top of the rail and the top of the tie, and a width equal to about the distance between the rail and the adjacent end of the tie, the box on the inside of each rail being formed with a slot indentation parallel and adjacent to the rail to receive the flange of a flanged wheel riding on the rail, means securing the bottom of each box to at least certain ties, integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges directed laterally of each box at longitudinal-1y spaced points and connecting the top and bottom of each of the boxes, longitudinally extending integral resin impregnated Fiberglas flanges on the edges of the top of each box and remote from the rail and projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the box to hold the pneumatic tired vehicle on the boxes, and interlocking dovetails on the ends of the boxes allowing longitudinal movement of adjacent boxes for expansion and contraction.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,364,127 Meelberg Jan. 4, 1921 1,793,288 Martin Feb. 17, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 35,670 Netherlands May 16, 1935 1,038,974 France May 13, 1953 490,238 Italy Feb. 6, 1954 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING RAILROAD RAILS, SECURED BY TIE PLATES TO TIES, TO PNEUMATIC TIRED VEHICLES THE COMBINATION OF A HOLLOW ELONGATED RESIN IMPREGNATED FIBERGLAS BOX POSITIONED ON EACH SIDE OF A PAIR OF RAILS, THE BOX ON THE OUTSIDE OF EACH RAIL HAVING A HEIGHT EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE RAIL AND THE TOP OF THE TIE, AND A WIDTH EQUAL TO ABOUT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RAIL AND THE ADJACENT END OF THE TIE, EACH BOX HAVING A SIDE CONTOURED COMPLEMENTARY TO THE SIDE OF THE RAIL AND THE SUPPORTING TIE PLATES AND ENGAGING THEREWITH, THE BOX ON THE INSIDE OF EACH RAIL BEING FORMED WITH A SLOT INDENTATION PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE RAIL TO RECEIVE THE FLANGE OF A FLANGED WHEEL RIDING ON THE RAIL, BOLT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID LAST-NAMED SIDES OF THE BOXES AND THROUGH THE VERTICAL FLANGE OF THE RAIL, LAG SCREW MEANS SECURING THE BOTTOM OF EACH BOX TO AT LEAST CERTAIN TIES, THE SIDES OF EACH BOX REMOTE FROM THE RAIL BEING OPEN, INTEGRAL RESIN IMPREGNATED FIBERGLAS FLANGES DIRECTED LATERALLY OF EACH BOX AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS AND CONNECTING THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF EACH OF THE BOXES, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING INTEGRAL RESIN IMPREGNATED FIBERGLAS FLANGES ON THE EDGES OF THE TOP OF EACH BOX AND REMOTE FROM THE RAIL AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BOX TO HOLD THE PNEUMATIC TIRED VEHICLE ON THE BOXES, ADDITIONAL INWARDLY EXTENDING LATERALLY DIRECTED INTEGRAL RESIN IMPREGNATED FIBERGLAS FLANGES AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS ON THOSE BOXES POSITIONED ON THE INSIDE OF EACH SIDE OF A PAIR OF RAILS TO JOIN TOGETHER THOSE BOXES POSITIONED ON THE INSIDE OF EACH PAIR OF RAILS, BOLSTER PLATE MEANS REMOVABLY JOINING SAID LAST-NAMED FLANGES TOGETHER, EACH BOX HAVING ONE END MADE FEMALE AND ONE END MADE WITH A REDUCED MALE SECTION ADAPTED TO FIT INTO THE FEMALE END ON THE ADJACENT BOX, AND INTERLOCKING DOVETAILS ON THE INTERFITTING ENDS OF THE BOXES ALLOWING RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF ADJACENT BOXES FOR EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION. 